


Meet Me In The Hallway

by CanDanAndPhilNot (enbycalhoun)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Childhood Friends, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Consensual Underage Sex, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by a Harry Styles Song, Kissing, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Explicit Sex, One Shot, Song fic, Summer Vacation, Teenagers, Time Skips, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25483495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbycalhoun/pseuds/CanDanAndPhilNot
Summary: Dan is seven years old when he meets Phil Lester and friendship comes easy for them. Over the years they meet each other in the hallway despite what life throws at them.2nd Place for Best Songfic of the 2020 Phanfic Awards!
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 20
Kudos: 68





	Meet Me In The Hallway

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote thing whole thing in one night and idk how. We thank Tara and Kei for being my bestest friends and bestest betas ever. This fic was inspired by the song Meet Me In The Hallway by Harry Styles (who i may or may not be completely obsessed with rn) and I had to get this out of my brain. Enjoy!

The first time they meet in the hallway, Dan is desperate to impress Phil. Why this older boy would want to see his race car collection is beyond him, but there he is, sitting cross-legged on the rickety floorboards of the old vacation home, his plastic box of cars balanced in his lap. 

“Dan, this is Phil and Martyn, Nigel and Kath’s sons,” his mum had said when they arrived at the lake house this morning. Dan knew Nigel and Kath as friends of his mum and dad that they would go out with sometimes while Dan and his baby brother were shipped off to Nan and Pop-pop’s house. Martyn was tall, lanky and looked like he couldn’t give two shits about Dan or Adrian who was hanging on Dan’s hip and nervous to be meeting new people. 

“Phil is only a year older than you, Dan,” his dad had said as Dan and Phil waved to each other.

“Dad, I’m going down to the lake.” Martyn waved and started down the hill towards the water. 

“And Martyn is too cool to care about anything,” Kath laughed and apologised, murmuring about damn teenagers. 

“Do you like animals, Dan?” Phil had asked and somehow this went from animals to racecars and now Dan feels like he has worms crawling around his stomach as he waits for Phil’s bedroom door to open. 

Phil eventually comes out of his room with a wicker basket full of cars that look like they’ve seen better days. 

“Sorry, these are my holiday cars, they don’t ever leave this place, so they aren’t as cool as yours.” Phil’s voice is low as he turns some of Dan’s newer cars in his hands. His accent is weird, Dan thinks. But in a cool way. Maybe he wouldn’t get picked on at school as much if his words came out less Winnie The Pooh and more Phil-like. 

By the time their mums call them for dinner, the hallway is a mess of toys and Dan can feel his cheeks hurting from smiling so much. They meet in the hallway after dinner to play until Dan’s dad steps on a Lego and yells at them to pick up their toys. 

On the third day of their holiday, Phil tells Dan that he wants to show him something but they have to wait for everyone to be asleep. 

“Meet me in the hallway, yeah?” Phil whispers in Dan’s ear, making the hairs on the back of Dan’s neck stand straight up. 

Dan nods and goes back to helping Adrian get ready for bed. 

Crickets are chirping outside his open window and the trees outside sway in the breeze. Dan clutches his top sheet close to his chest hoping all that’s out there is the bugs and wind. He’s sure everyone has to be asleep at this point, but the shadows casting in the room from the moonlight outside locks Dan in his sheets. He takes a deep breath and says a quick prayer before pulling himself from his small bed and slipping on a pair of sandals. 

The door creaks despite how slow Dan is pulling it open and it makes his heartbeat a million miles a minute. When he sees Phil’s smile in the dark hallway, Dan’s heart feels like it sputters before it starts again at its ever-increasing pace. 

“You came,” Phil whispers, his ginger hair looking almost black in the shadows. 

“Of course,” Dan mouths, not trusting himself to wake their parents, or worse Adrian, who is sleeping just a few metres away back in the room. 

They tiptoe to the back door and down off the porch before Phil flicks on a torch and holds it up under his chin, making a face at Dan. He stifles a laugh as Phil pulls on Dan’s hand, their fingers laced together. Dan is thankful for the comfort as the tall trees sway around ominously. He’d never admit to Phil how scared he is. 

The lake looks even worse as a layer of fog hangs over the dark water. 

It’s not until they are settling down on the dock when Dan realises the number of fireflies mixed in the fog. 

“It’s usually better, I promise. The fog is ruining it.” Phil sounds disappointed, but his hand is still in Dan’s and the fireflies look like little fairies, flying around protecting them from whatever may be lurking in the shadows. 

“It’s perfect, really,” Dan says. 

Every night for the next two weeks they meet in the hallway. 

*~*

This year feels different and Dan doesn’t know why. Five years of watching fireflies over the lake, their hands twined together, and Phil can barely meet Dan’s eyes. His mind reels back to New Years when they had held mitten-clad hands under the fireworks in Manchester. Everything had seemed normal. Dan wonders if he did something to upset Phil. 

After dinner the next night, Phil sat in front of the telly by himself. Martyn and his girlfriend are already in bed and their parents can be heard in their drunken states out on the porch. 

“Meet me in the hallway?” Dan whispers, leaning over the back of the sofa. 

“I can’t,” Phil says, his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Why not?” Dan can’t remember a time he had ever felt like this around Phil. For years, Phil has been his safe place. Nothing bad ever happens when he’s with Phil. 

“Cause. I just can’t, Dan.” Phil doesn’t take his eyes off the insurance commercial flashing across the old TV. 

“What did I do?” The hurt in his voice is clear. 

“What?” Shock crosses Phil’s face under the slight sunburn over his nose and cheeks. 

“I’m sorry if I did something to upset you.” Dan stands up straight and can feel a prickling behind his eyes. He really needs to get it together, twelve-year-olds don’t cry. 

“What’re you on about?” Phil stands and turns to look at Dan. “You didn’t do anything.” 

“Then meet me in the hallway,” Dan says and runs off to his room before Phil can see the tears pooling up in his eyes. 

The dark shadows casting in through the window don’t make Dan’s heart beat so fast anymore. He still doesn’t like how the trees move in the breeze, but he’s older now and not scared of stupid things like a baby. Adrian's breath is even so Dan pulls his cover back and slips on his Vans disregarding how his bare skin feels on the inside of the shoes. 

The hallway is empty. Dan tries not to let himself get emotional. It’s whatever, he tells himself as he slides down the wall across from Phil’s room, wrapping his arms around his thin legs once his bum hits the floorboards. 

He takes deep breaths, breathing in the dust and mothball scent the lakehouse always seems to have. It’s become as familiar to him as Phil’s hand in his, or the sight of Phil’s blue eyes in the sunlight. When everything else in life seems to be squishing him like he’s stuck in a trash compactor, Phil is the breaker that flips to stop it all. 

“Dan?” 

“Phil?” Dan’s head snaps up and he sees Phil leaning down over him, a worried look on his face. “I thought you weren’t coming.” 

If it were another hand coming up to wipe the wetness off Dan’s face, he’d probably flinch, but he lets Phil’s finger brush across his cheeks before Phil is reaching a hand out. Their fingers find the familiar spot between each other before they sneak out of the front door. Every year, the door’s squeak seems to get louder, but Dan wonders what his parents would actually do now that they're older. 

Silence hangs heavily between them as they sit on the dock, their legs hanging over the edge, their toes almost grazing the water now. 

“Why didn’t you want to come down here with me?” Dan asks, even though the voice in the back of his head is telling him to shut up and be thankful Phil is sitting here holding his hand. 

More than fifty beats, Dan counts before Phil answers. 

“Do you, uh, do you ever feel like you're different?” It’s not really an answer but Dan doesn’t care. 

“All the time. I mean, at school I’m an outcast. You’re kinda my only friend.” 

“But like, you know how every boy our age is dating girls, and kissing girls and stuff?” 

Dan nods, because yeah, he sees it in the halls and after school, but he’s never really thought about kissing girls. 

There’s more silence. Dan can feel the sweat coming from Phil’s hand and it makes him sad. They always tell each other everything. Every embarrassing story, every bad thing they’ve ever done. There wasn’t anything he was scared to tell Phil. The fact that the feeling wasn’t mutual make’s Dan’s chest ache. 

“Can you promise you won’t be mad at me?” Phil finally whispers, his head hanging.

“You’re my favourite person. I don’t think I could be mad at you even if I tried.” Dan squeezes Phil’s fingers and he squeezes back. 

“I think about kissing boys sometimes,” Phil says so fast Dan barely catches it. 

“Doesn’t everyone?” 

“Do you?”

Dan fidgets. “Well, there’s a boy in my maths that has hair like yours and, yeah, I’ve thought about it.” 

“Is it weird that I thought of kissing you on New Years,” Phil says quietly. 

Dan’s heart speeds up and this time it has nothing to do with the trees swaying in the dark. When he looks over at Phil, he’s watching Dan with scared eyes. The moment rushes back to Dan. The smile on Phil’s face as fireworks burst in the sky so loud Dan could feel the explosions in his chest. Phil had been so close and his smile made Dan’s knees weak, or maybe it was how long they’d been standing to wait for midnight. Dan doesn’t think it was the latter. 

“I don’t know why,” Dan chuckles to himself and licks his lips. “I’m not very attractive, Phil.” He reaches up with his free hand and smooths down his fringe he’d straightened with his new flat iron that morning. 

“I think you’re the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen.” 

Before Dan can reply, Phil’s lips are on his and there are butterflies forcefully fluttering against his rib cage. Phil pulls away quickly, an apology falling from his lips that are damp with Dan’s spit, but Dan doesn’t want the butterflies to dissipate, so he leans back into Phil and memorises the way he tastes in case this is the only time he gets to do this. 

When they meet in the hallway next and every time after that, so do their lips. 

*~*

_ I cant wait 2 see u ^_^ _

Dan’s stomach does flips as he types out a reply. The train car is silent besides the sounds of his dad’s snores. He wishes the ride wasn’t so long, giving the nerves in his body time to fester, but at the same time, he wishes he didn’t have to step off the train, hoping it would just go and go until he was in Antarctica or something. Eight years and Dan had never been this nervous for their two week holiday with the Lesters. Then again, this was the first time Dan would see Phil since their relationship had changed. 

He unlocks his new iPhone and opens his photo gallery. Muscle memory opens the folder filled with pictures of Phil. Blood rushes to his groin when his favourite picture of Phil fills the screen. Long black hair falls over his rosy face and through the shitty lighting of Phil’s bathroom, Dan can see every perfect piece of Phil’s exposed torso leading down to where a blue towel is loose around his hips. At first, Dan was sad to see Phil’s mousy brown hair gone, but the amount of times Dan has wanked to this picture is proof that the black fringe does it for him. 

Dan doesn’t care about his suitcase in the back of their rental car, because Phil is running down off the patio, his long legs taking strides so long Dan’s worried he’s going to trip and eat shit. His door is open before the car is fully stopped and he’s off, his mum’s rebukes lost in the wind that whips through Dan’s ears. 

Their arms wrap around each other and Dan never wants to let go. Phil’s familiar musky scent is all it takes to calm Dan’s stomach. 

A stiff cough makes Dan pull his face from where it’s buried in the crook of Phil’s neck. 

“Hey, Martyn.” Dan smiles sheepishly and steps just far enough away from Phil that it’s not weird. 

“Have you grown? How old are you now? Twelve?” Martyn says, reaching over to muss up Dan’s hair. 

“Oh, piss off,” Dan says, but he’s laughing. It’s strange how Phil is almost as tall as his brother now.

“Oi, kid. Better not talk to my brother like that.” Martyn steps closer and lowers his voice. “On your best behaviour this summer, boys.” 

“Shut up,” Phil hisses, swatting at his brother. 

“Just use protection,” Martyn chuckles. 

A blush crawls up Dan's neck and he looks between the two brothers. 

“You’re a bloody menace.” Phil’s face is as red as Dan’s feels. 

*~*

After dinner that night, Dan is putting away the rest of the dishes and he feels hands on his hips. 

“Meet me in the hallway?” Phil’s voice sends shivers down his spine. 

*~*

Somewhere along the line, the lake at night wasn’t just a safe spot for Dan to sit hand in hand with his best friend. It turned into a bubble of just Dan and Phil where they could do anything they ever wanted. All the wanking and porn in the world could never prepare Dan for how it feels to be pressed down into the waterlogged boards of the dock, his breath coming fast into Phil’s mouth opened around his. 

He’s not even thinking anymore. How could he when his primal instinct to rock his hips against Phil’s and the long fingers wrapped in his hair and tugging maybe a little too rough are distorting any rational thought? They haven’t spoken a word since they made it down here, not wasting any time before turning on their lantern and jumping right into the snogging. 

Phil tugs even harder at the roots of Dan’s hair, pulling a strangled sound from his throat. When Phil dips down and sucks at Dan’s neck, it’s like nothing Dan’s ever felt, and before he can think about thinking about it, he moans out, “God, I love you.” 

“What?” Phil pulls away and Dan can barely see the colour around his blown-out pupils. 

“I said, I um, I love you.” Dan clears his throat and searches Phil’s face for any sign that he just fucked up. 

“I love you too,” Phil whispers before bringing his lips back down to Dan, this time slow and sweet. 

They meet in the hallway every night, twice never even leaving the hallway before they both are coming in their pants and whispering quiet confessions of love, running off the adrenaline of possibly getting caught. 

*~*

Next summer isn’t like the rest. The lake house only ever had good memories, so when Dan, his brother, and mum show up without his dad, nothing feels right. He knew his parents' relationship was ending, everyone and their uncle could see it coming. He just never expected for it to end so abruptly. He never expected his dad to be the kind of guy to cheat. It’s hard to indulge in Phil’s soft kisses and warm touch when he can hear his mum crying down the hallway. Everyone told her it was fine to stay home this year. She didn’t want to ruin tradition. Dan tells Phil he’s sorry and sleeps next to his mum for the first time since he was a child. 

Focusing on Phil’s words is difficult. Dan nods and tells Phil he loves him. Manchester is a good school. Dan will apply next year so they can go to school together but he doesn’t think he’ll get in. He does. 

*~*

“Meet me in the hallway,” Dan says, his words slurred and muffled over the sounds of Lady Gaga. 

Phil doesn’t know exactly where they are. He knows they’re on campus somewhere but he couldn’t say he knows the name of the person throwing the party. It doesn’t matter to him, Dan is here and that’s all he needs. A few minutes later Phil pushes through the crowd and steps into the quiet hallway, unsteady on his feet. 

As soon as Dan sees him, Dan grabs him by the front of his flannel shirt and pushes him against the dingy cement block wall. The pain that shoots up Phil’s spine is almost immediately forgotten when Dan’s body is pressed up against his and their mouths are moving in a practiced motion. Dan tastes like rum and it does something for Phil in a weird way. 

“Yours or mine?” Dan breaths, as a curl falls between his eyes and he's palming Phil through his trousers. 

“Mine, Jamie is staying with Carl - ” Phil lets out a moan when Dan presses harder. 

Suddenly the door behind them swings open and Dan’s hand moves away with lightning speed. 

“Get a fucking room,” Leslie drawls, a red cup tilting in her hand. 

“I swear you two are like horny fucking teenagers.” PJ stumbles out from behind Leslie holding her hand. 

"You're just jealous." Dan wraps an arm around Phil's waist and he's too aware of how everyone can probably see his dick through his jeans. Dan doesn't care though. Dan's always been okay with who he is. He was the first one to come out to his family, even though his dad isn't around much anymore. Phil knows that bothers Dan more than he lets on, but Phil just holds Dan closer and hopes one day he'll be more open like they used to be. 

Phil knows they spend too much time fucking around and indulging in parties, but when Dan gets dragged down by school, it's all that helps. Dan will pass and graduate and be a great drama teacher. He reminds Dan of this, but over the past few years cynicism has been seeping from every pore and it only seems to be getting worse. 

At least Phil never has a problem looking at the bigger picture and being thankful, just like Dan doesn't have a problem with screaming from the top of the science building that he's gay and loves one Philip Lester. 

They balance each other out like they always have. 

*~*

"Phil, I swear if I find one more bloody sock - "

"What, Dan? You swear what? You'll stop keeping me up all hours of the night yelling at your computer?" 

Phil doesn't remember when it went downhill. It seems like yesterday he was graduating from university, even though it's been two years already. Since they moved into this flat it seems like all they do anymore is argue. Whether it's about money, food, or Phil leaving his socks everywhere. Everything's an argument these days. 

“Meet me in the hallway, Phil. Come on, come out here.” Dan’s voice is low but Phil can hear the challenge. 

“Okay, what’d you want?” Phil sighs. 

Dan’s head to toe in black and he’s propped against the white walls of the hallway of their flat. 

“I want to know what your issue is, yeah?” Dan places his hands on his hips. 

“I don’t have an issue, Dan. You’re the one running your mouth about socks.” Phil crosses his arms over his chest. 

Their eyes lock and Phil feels guilt seeping into his bones. 

“Yes, because it’s  _ my  _ fault I can’t just get a teaching job without this internship. It’s  _ my  _ fault you wanted to move to London. Don’t forget, it was  _ my  _ bright idea to sleep in different rooms to give each other space so  _ you  _ could write that book you’ve been on about for a fucking year.” Dan spits the last part out. 

Phil’s guilt quickly turns to hot anger in his gut. “That’s a low blow and we both know it! You know what this book means to me!” 

“Then fucking finish it already so I’m not the only one paying for shit around here!” 

“You mean like I was when you were living in  _ my  _ flat your last year of university?” Their voices are rising with every word and Phil can feel an explosion coming. 

“Oh, so that’s what we’re doing now is it?” Dan says, his voice loud and filled with sarcasm. “Who loves who more, Phil? Who’s pinched more pennies to keep us going?” 

“You’re being ridiculous!” Phil wants to pull his hair out. 

There’s a beat of silence and Dan looks at Phil with something mixed between confusion and anger. “That’s it, I’m going out.” Then he’s down the hall, grabbing a coat from the closet. 

“Out? What’d you mean out? Where?” Phil’s on his heels, panic starts creeping into his voice. 

“I don’t know,” Dan muses, slipping on a pair of trainers by the front door. “Don’t worry, I’ll call Sam up.” 

Phil goes into full on panic mode. He knows Sam fancies Dan even though he knows Dan and himself have been together for almost ten years. “Sam? Like Sam from a few flights up?” 

“Yeah, Phil. The one that says I have pretty eyes. Like you used to once upon a time.” Dan looks right at Phil when he says it. It cuts Phil to his core. 

“Didn’t know you wanted to be so much like your dad.” Phil says meaning it to come out smooth but his voice cracks. 

The silence this time is deafening. 

“Fuck you,” Dan whispers and storms out the front door. 

Phil doesn’t remember how it got this bad, but when he lays in his bed, tears falling freely, all he can do is think of a more simple time when all they needed was fireflies over the lake and their fingers holding their hands together. 

*~*

Phil hears the front door open. Footsteps come down the hall and stop in front of Phil’s closed bedroom door. Dan walks in and his face shows no sign of emotion. Phil can’t say the same for himself because he knows how swollen and red his face must look. 

“You were right about him,” Dan says, his voice gravelly like he’d been yelling. 

“Let me guess, you went to his place? You here to rub it in?” Phil’s anger comes back like a strike of a match. 

“I did but - ” 

“But what? D’you get sucked off and come home to rub it in my face? Bet he didn’t even do the thing you like, yeah, the  _ thing _ .” Phil jumps off the bed and points a finger at Dan, walking closer. “You have no right to be in here right now. Get out!” 

“Do you really think I would do that to you? You think I’d be like my dad?” Dan’s face is still poised and Phil wants to punch him. 

“Get  _ out _ !” The shriek that rips from Phil’s throat surprises even himself. 

“I hope you believe me when I say I would never cheat on you or leave you.” Dan whimpers. 

He’s had enough. He doesn’t want to hear Dan’s voice anymore. Phil opens the door and waits until Dan is through the threshold before slamming it shut. 

How long could someone cry before the tears dry up? Two hours is what Phil finds out. Wit’s end is an understatement about where Phil is mentally. His brain starts from what just happened and trails back to seven and eight years old. He doesn’t understand how it got to this point. 

A light knock sounds at his closed door. 

“Phil?”

Silence.

“Phil? Please meet me in the hallway? Please?”

More silence.

“Please, babe?”

Phil falls asleep shortly after. 

*~*

He wakes up at almost ten in the morning with a text from Dan.

_ Your oatmeal is in the microwave just gotta press start and coffee should still be hot. I love you _ . 

Phil writes more today than he has in a very long time. The emotions from last night seem to kick his brain into overdrive. If he writes like this every day he could have the book finished by the end of the year. He doesn’t even realize how late it is until he hears the front door open. It’s nearly five and he’s only eaten oatmeal with his five cups of coffee. 

It’s not long before there is a light rap on the door. The doorknob turns but Phil turned the lock hours ago. 

“Phil?” 

“What, I’m writing.” Phil flinches at how sarcastic his voice sounds. 

“Please.” 

Phil knows what he’s going to ask, but he doesn’t know if he’s quite ready to forgive Dan yet. 

“Give me space, please.” 

“Can I make you dinner?” Dan asks quietly. 

“M’not hungry,” Phil lies. 

“I love you.”

Phil waits a few beats before he sighs. “I love you too.” 

*~*

Dan doesn’t know how to make anything right anymore. He’s tried dinner. He’s even brought Phil home those cookies he used to eat in bed on his bad days. There’s nothing Dan does that makes Phil come out of his room. Until he finally has train tickets in his hand and he knows he’s getting Phil to meet him this morning. 

“Phil?”

“Hmm?” 

“I’m asking this from the depths of my soul. Please, please, meet me in the hallway? With a suitcase?” 

There’s no answer but Dan can hear the computer chair squeak. 

Phil’s voice is right on the other side of the door when he speaks, “Why?”

“Just pack enough for the weekend okay? Meet me in an hour.” 

*~*

Phil hates train rides. He especially hates train rides in silence, but he can’t seem to think of anything to say to Dan. 

When he had walked out into the hallway with a suitcase ready to go, Dan had smiled so wide his dimple looked like it had a dimple. Phil had smiled back. 

But now, on the train to somewhere north, Phil just wanted to go back to his room. 

Phil protests when they pick up a rental car outside the train station. There is no way they can afford this. Dan shushes him and drives. Halfway there, Phil knows where they’re going. How could he forget the winding roads and swaying trees?

The sun is almost setting when they pull up the long driveway to the lake house. It’s bittersweet to see how worn the shutters are and how dusty everything is inside. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” Phil says, dropping his suitcase in his old room. 

Before Phil can make it into the bathroom, Dan has his arms around Phil's waist and his chin hooked over Phil’s shoulder. He remembers a time when Dan was shorter and the roles were reversed. 

“You know what I’m going to ask you,” Dan says against Phil’s ear. 

Emotion wells up in Phil’s chest. It could be just the smell of mothballs and the feel of creaky floorboards beneath his feet, but a smile creeps up on his lips despite himself. “Yeah? What’s that?” 

Kisses are planted on Phil’s shoulders and slowly up his neck until Dan grazes his nose against Phil’s ear and whispers, “Meet me in the hallway?” 

Phil takes the fastest shower of his life. He hurries to his room and throws on some sweats and a sweatshirt, knowing the late summer breeze might feel up here. 

It doesn’t feel like Phil is an adult. He feels like a teenager, stepping out of his room, seeing Dan leaned up against the dark walls. He’s eight again, wanting to show Dan his favorite place. Then in a second he’s thirteen, falling for his best friend and worried he’s going to lose it all over a stupid crush. Then he’s sixteen, drinking in a lean boy with a pout that could kill, and wanting the boy all for himself in every unspeakable way possible. 

Silently, Dan takes his hand and turns on a flashlight. 

“Shh, don’t want to wake up Kath,” Dan whispers and Phil chuckles before smacking Dan lightly on the shoulder. 

Hand in hand, they follow the worn trail, knowing every dip and curve. The dock is in bad shape and Phil doesn’t know if they should be walking on it, but Dan tugs him along. This time when they sit on the edge, they have to take their shoes off so when they put their legs down their shoes don’t drown. The water is a bit chilly but neither of them protest. 

Dan squeezes Phil’s fingers and says, “Remember when this was all we needed?” 

“Yeah, was nice, wasn’t it? Didn’t have the weight of the world on our shoulders.” 

“We can work this out, can’t we?”

Phil looks over and sees the doubt in Dan’s eyes. He wants to make that doubt go away. 

“I want to. I miss how we used to be.” Phil tries to stay neutral but naturally his voice betrays him as he chokes up a bit 

“Can we talk about what went wrong?”

Phil leans in and steals a kiss. “Meet me halfway, okay?

“Yeah, always.” 

  
  



End file.
